The novel insight into anti-inflammatory and anxiolytic effects of psychobiotics in diabetic rats: possible link between gut microbiota and brain regions The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake in the order of the author list.

Metabolic syndrome and dietary patterns: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies—reply

Activation of T-regulatory cells by a synbiotic may be important for its anti-inflammatory effect

Inaccurate data in meta-analysis ‘Metabolic syndrome and dietary patterns: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies’

Impact of a high-protein diet during lactation on milk composition and offspring in a pig model Abstract Purpose Early postnatal nutrition not only holds relevance to infant growth, but also determines the risk of developing obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. It is suggested that a high-protein (HP) diet in early childhood can predispose children to obesity. However, data concerning possible alterations in milk composition and the development of the offspring in response to a maternal HP diet are currently not available. To address this question, we conducted a study using pigs as a model organism. Methods At parturition, sows were assigned to two experimental groups. During lactation, the control group received a diet with a protein content of 16%, whereas the diet of the HP group contained 30% protein. After 28 days of lactation, samples were taken from sows and piglets for the quantification of free amino acids and other metabolites and for histology. Results Serum and milk urea showed the most marked differences between the two groups of sows, whereas serum urea concentration in piglets did not differ. Here, we found that the intake of an HP diet changed a series of metabolites in sows, but had only small effects on milk composition and virtually no effects on growth in the offspring. Interestingly, maternal protein intake during lactation shapes the microbiome of the offspring. Conclusion From our current study, we conclude that even a very high maternal protein intake throughout lactation has no impact on growth and health parameters of the offspring.

Language delay and poorer school performance in children of mothers with inadequate iodine intake in pregnancy: results from follow-up at 8 years in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study Abstract Purpose Some studies indicate that mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency in pregnant women might negatively affect offspring neurocognitive development, including previous results from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study (MoBa) exploring maternally reported child development at age 3 years. The aim of this follow-up study was to investigate whether maternal iodine intake in pregnancy is associated with language and learning at 8 years of age. Methods The study sample includes 39,471 mother–child pairs participating in MoBa with available information from a validated food frequency questionnaire covering the first half of pregnancy and a questionnaire on child neurocognitive development at 8 years. Multivariable regression was used to explore associations of iodine intake from food and supplements with maternally reported child outcomes. Results Maternal iodine intake from food less than ~ 150 µg/day was associated with poorer child language skills (p-overall = 0.013), reading skills (p-overall = 0.019), and writing skills (p-overall = 0.004) as well as poorer school test result in reading (p < 0.001), and increased likelihood of the child receiving special educational services (p-overall = 0.042) (in non-iodine supplement users). Although significant, differences were generally small. Maternal use of iodine supplements in pregnancy was not significantly associated with any of the outcomes. Conclusions Low habitual iodine intake in pregnant women, i.e., lower than the recommended intake for non-pregnant women, was associated with mothers reporting poorer child language, school performance, and increased likelihood of special educational services. We found no indications of benefits or harm of using iodine-containing supplements in pregnancy. Initiating use in pregnancy might be too late.

Dietary fiber intake and mortality in a Mediterranean population: the “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” (SUN) project Abstract Purpose To prospectively assess the association of dietary fiber intake (from different dietary sources) with all-cause mortality in a Mediterranean cohort. Methods We assessed 19,703 participants of the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) cohort (mean follow-up: 10.1 years). A validated 136-item FFQ was administered at baseline. We used Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for multiple socio-demographic, anthropometric, lifestyle factors, and prevalent conditions at baseline. Results We observed 323 deaths during 198,341 person-years of follow-up. A significantly inverse linear trend in Cox models was observed for the association of total dietary fiber intake and all-cause mortality after adjustment for confounders (p for trend 0.017). Each additional intake of 5 g/1000 kcal of dietary fiber was associated with a 9% relative reduction in all-cause mortality risk (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84–0.99). Considering separate dietary sources in separate models, a significant inverse trend was apparent for fiber derived from vegetables (p for trend 0.001), but it was non-significant for fiber derived from fruit, legumes, cereals, or other sources. Soluble fiber was significantly inversely associated with all-cause mortality in the fully adjusted model (p for trend 0.007), and insoluble fiber was marginally significant (p for trend 0.08). Conclusions A higher intake of total dietary fiber, and particularly fiber from vegetables, was related to a reduced all-cause mortality in our Mediterranean cohort. Dietary messages to increase the consumption of dietary patterns rich in fiber-rich foods should be broadly disseminated to decrease the alarming rate of chronic diseases and its derived mortality.

Coffee and tea drinking in relation to the risk of differentiated thyroid carcinoma: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study Abstract Purpose Coffee and tea constituents have shown several anti-carcinogenic activities in cellular and animal studies, including against thyroid cancer (TC). However, epidemiological evidence is still limited and inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to investigate this association in a large prospective study. Methods The study was conducted in the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition) cohort, which included 476,108 adult men and women. Coffee and tea intakes were assessed through validated country-specific dietary questionnaires. Results During a mean follow-up of 14 years, 748 first incident differentiated TC cases (including 601 papillary and 109 follicular TC) were identified. Coffee consumption (per 100 mL/day) was not associated either with total differentiated TC risk (HRcalibrated 1.00, 95% CI 0.97–1.04) or with the risk of TC subtypes. Tea consumption (per 100 mL/day) was not associated with the risk of total differentiated TC (HRcalibrated 0.98, 95% CI 0.95–1.02) and papillary tumor (HRcalibrated 0.99, 95% CI 0.95–1.03), whereas an inverse association was found with follicular tumor risk (HRcalibrated 0.90, 95% CI 0.81–0.99), but this association was based on a sub-analysis with a small number of cancer cases. Conclusions In this large prospective study, coffee and tea consumptions were not associated with TC risk.

Carbohydrate nutrition variables and risk of disability in instrumental activities of daily living Abstract Purpose We aimed to examine the prospective association between dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) of foods consumed, intakes of carbohydrates and fiber, and the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) in older adults. Methods A total of 844 participants from the Blue Mountains Eye Study aged 60 years or older were examined from 2002–2004 to 2007–2009. Dietary information was collected using a validated, semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. The Older Americans Resources and Services activities of daily living scale were administered to assess the functional status of participants. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Results After multivariable adjustment, participants who were in the second and third quartiles of energy-adjusted total fiber intake compared to those in the first quartile of intake (reference group) at baseline had reduced risk of incident impaired instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) 5 years later: OR, 0.39 (95% CI 0.22–0.70) and OR 0.54 (95% CI 0.30–0.95), respectively. Analyses that involved dichotomized total fiber intake showed that participants in the upper three quartiles of total fiber intake (> 19 g/day), compared to those in the lowest quartile of intake (≤ 19 g/day) or reference group, had reduced IADL disability risk 5 years later: OR 0.49 (95% CI 0.31–0.79). Non-significant associations were observed with total carbohydrates, GI, and GL and with risk of impaired total and basic ADL at 5-year follow-up. Conclusions Habitual fiber consumption might be beneficial in leading to improved health status subserving performance of instrumental daily activities, needed to function in the community.

Soy and isoflavones consumption and breast cancer survival and recurrence: a systematic review and meta-analysis Abstract Background Some studies have investigated the association between soy and isoflavones consumption and breast cancer survival, but the results are far from conclusive. Accordingly, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore this issue. Methods We performed a comprehensive search of Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase from inception to January 2018. The summary hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using a random effects model. Results A total of 12 articles were included, which reported overall survival (OS), breast cancer specific survival (BCSS), and recurrence in 5770, 2386, and 1500 cases, respectively, among 37,275 women with breast cancer. The summary HR (95% CI) for the association (highest vs. lowest) of pre-diagnosis soy and isoflavones consumption with OS and BCSS was 0.84 (0.71–0.98) and 0.89 (0.74–1.07), respectively. Stratified analyses suggested that the reduced OS was more easily detected in studies that focused on post-menopausal patients. No significant association was found between post-diagnosis soy and isoflavones consumption with OS and BCSS, with summary HRs (95% CIs) of 0.80 (0.62–1.04) and 0.83 (0.64–1.07), respectively. Pre- and post-diagnosis soy isoflavones consumption were associated with reduced risk of recurrence. Conclusion This study provides limited evidence that pre-diagnosis soy and isoflavones intake is associated with a small reduction in post-menopausal breast cancer OS.